* Giulio Cesare is regarded by many as Handel's greatest and most exquisite work.
* This new adaptation comes from director Herbert WernickeRead more (1946-2002), who includes in his version fragments of Rinaldo, Orlando and Tolomeo. Wernicke concentrates on the psychology and politics of the story, rather than seeking to set the opera in a contemporary context.
* In Handel's Giulio Cesare, a far cry from the dark story of political intrigue conceived by William Shakespeare less than a century earlier, Caesar is a heroic figure, rescuing Cleopatra from the clutches of her evil brother. The simplicity of the story enables Handel to concentrate on what he does best: writing wonderfully emotive arias and complex recitatives with startling modulations.Read less